In March 1945, after the bombardment, the city of Kobe had been reduced to ashes. The Protestant kindergarten where I went for 2 years became ashes together with the church. In August that year, I was standing in the middle of the ruins, swept by the flames. On the white fence of the kindergarten the rambling rose was the only thing bright and green. Among the ruins, I noticed the wood crucifix. I must have seen this cross everyday, but that was the first time I noticed the word by Saint Paul:"The message of the cross is folly for those who are on the way to ruin, but for those of us who are on the way to salvation it is the power of God." (Corinthians 1,1-18)
Among the devastating ruins, I thought of eternity for the first time.
One day all of a sudden, my best friend passed away of heart attack. She was Catholic. For the first time, I went to a Catholic church for her funeral. Without even understanding the doctrine, I could realize that this was the traditional Christian church.
I knocked at the church door, and began to attend the catechism class. It was not easy to understand the German priest, but one day he told us the word of the Bible to introduce God. God said himself: "I am who I am" (Exodus 3-14) . Once again, it was like a flash light for me.
I did not hesitate to get baptized. But I still could not understand anything about the Holy Trinity, Christ's Passion and Resurrection.